On Mass Shootings, Safety, and the Quietly Loud Voice of U.S. Power

If you live in the United States, you live in a country where we couldn’t even get to the second whole week of school for our children before our first mass school shooting.

Just in case you needed a reminder that the people who make decisions in the United States do not care about the safety of children and the defenseless.

And real talk?

Why do you need a reminder?

With everything that has transpired with this country’s collusion with ongoing genocides in Palestine and countless other countries you shouldn't need any reminders of how those in power in the United States view the value of human lives.

But thoughts and prayers and “solidarity” flag emojis, eh?

On Melanated Olympics for Survival and the Responses of Pallor

I don’t think people of pallor understand or grasp the intricacies of the mental, emotional, and linguistic gymnastics that most melanated people, most Black and Brown folx, most Native and Indigenous folx, and all Black women and femmes engage in to maintain employment and stay safe in communities and workplaces of pallor. I’m talking about Olympic gold medal-level sh—.

“But Pharoah, I underst - - “

No. No you don’t.

“Really, Pharoah. I think I get it - - “

Nope.

“I’ve read about - -“

Oh, no boo-boo. You don’t want to say that.

“But - -“

Shhhh. Less talking and defending yourself and more acknowledging your complacency and participation in white supremacist culture.

Ain’t nobody got time for your Olympic-level deflection and defensiveness.

Listen. Learn. Disrupt. Own your actions and words.

We’re tired of medaling.

[Image description: A picture of the rapper Mase. He is looking at the viewer while holding his left pointer finger up in front of his mouth, essentially making the universal gesture for remaining silent.]

Image description: A picture of the rapper Mase. He is looking at the viewer while holding his left pointer finger up in front of his mouth, essentially making the universal gesture for remaining silent.

On Defense, Defensiveness, and the White Supremacy Defense Handbook

I will never be shocked at how often people of pallor jump in to defend other people of pallor for doing and saying hateful, harmful, racist, and oppressive things. At work, on social media, in public - most people of pallor never fail to "stand in solidarity" with other people of pallor, even after witnessing their harmful words and actions firsthand.

That's page 76 of the white supremacy defense handbook, right?

I will never be shocked that the defenders of pallor constantly ask those whom people of pallor harm to "assume positive intent" whenever they harm us, even if there isn't one crumb of positive intent one could discern from their actions.

If memory serves me correctly, that's chapter 5: the good/bad binary as a tool of oppression.

I will never be shocked that people of pallor still react to those they harm not buying the "positive intent" sales pitch by referring to chapter 8 of the white supremacy defense handbook in which those harmed by white supremacy are supposed to constantly be ready to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that harm has occurred, even after people of pallor witness the harm with their own eyes.

I will also never be shocked when people of pallor and their defenders send me and people like me private messages or want to push for a conversation away from witnesses to plead their case and drain the batteries of those they have harmed or watched get harmed by expecting those they've harmed to educate them when they do not want to be educated—they want to be “proven right” or feel justified in their actions.

I think that's also chapter 8, but I could have an old copy of the book.

What's that, you say? There are no new editions? And that y'all been rockin' with the same handbook for 100+ years?

But of course.

I'm not even shocked.

This Week's Opening Thought: August 26, 2024

This week's opening thought: I've worked in various industries and professions. This kind of experience comes with being in the workforce since age 13. But in my almost 30 years of work experience, human resources is the only profession I've ever worked in that seems to constantly be trying to rebrand itself. It's at the point of being ridiculous.

People and Culture. People Operations. Organizational Culture and Belonging. Human Support.

Who wants to tell them?

Yeah...it's still HR, y'all. People still know it's HR. New name, same actions.

Suppose your industry and profession must constantly rebrand because of people's longstanding issues with how your profession handles things in the workplace. Wouldn't addressing their problems and reimagining how people view your industry make sense? Wouldn't rebuilding, not rebranding, be the human approach?

However, that would encompass a level of accountability we have yet to see steadily reflected and implemented in human resources as a field and industry.

Y'all ready for that, HR Folx?

Why are y'all so quiet?

Damnit.

So...that's a no, isn't it?

SIGH.

People and Culture it is!

On Gus, Tim, and Toxic Masculinity

Do you want to know a person's makeup and character? Do you want to truly get a window into who a person is, deep down in their soul?

I think you should look at the people making fun of Tim Walz's son Gus and his relationship with his father.

People are mocking a neurodivergent person for loving their father and openly showing their love, unfiltered, in a moment of familial pride.

People are mocking Tim Walz for having a son whom he has showered with so much love, support, and affection that his son has no qualms about showing the world how decent of a person his father is.

If you somehow find Tim and Gus' relationship funny, meme-worthy, or a target of mockery, rest assured that it says so much about who you are as a person that you need not mutter another word.

I wish for you healing for the dark places in your soul that have never seen joy and love. I hope that one day, you get to feel what true, genuine, unfiltered, unconditional love, empathy, and compassion with another person feels like because you're obviously bereft of it.